Twenty-one years ago, Tom Izzo and Mateen Cleaves linked arms at center court and watched the playing of “One Shining Moment” together. Cleaves wore a clipped national championship net around his neck. Tears of joy ran down his face.
It was the culmination of Michigan State’s second, and the Big Ten Conference’s 10th, national title in the then-62-year-old event.
It was also the start of one of the most stunning streaks in college sports.
No team coming out of the Big Ten has won it since.
This isn’t some think piece analyzing all the factors that have gone into this drought.